Hypocretin/Orexin and Motor Function

Abstract

As the literature on hypocretin/orexin has grown, so has the list of functions attributed to this system. Recent papers have routinely listed sleep and arousal control, blood pressure regulation, feeding, motor control, and others as functions for the hypocretin system (1, 2, 3, 4). The question I address here is whether such an inclusive listing is an appropriate acknowledgement of the complexity and subtlety of hypocretin’s function or whether a simpler relationship may underlie the multiple correlations that have been seen.